Finding a live

I've wired my radio in to a switched live but it has to have the ignition on full, i.e. all the dash lights lit. Does anyone know if there is an 'Accessory' live to anything? IE live to the key turn before the glow plugs etc come on? Ive checked with a meter but can't find anything and by all accounts the fuse box and relays near the gearstick aren't the original ones!
I intend finding an Acc live and then use it to fire up a relay so it doesn't overload anything.

Why what's wrong with it as is? Most stereos I've come across will come on at key position 2 and not before

If i'm sat in it waiting for SWMBO to come out of Tesco with all the cider, i want to be able to sit and listen to the radio without all the lights on, i'm sure if you do this with a petrol engine it buggers the coil up? I know mine is a diesel but assume there could be something within the engine that doesn't like this???
Believe it or not but the radio has no 'off' button so I can't wire it to a permanent live

Your radio should have a permanent live, switched live and an earth. That's all it needs. And no you won't 'bugger anything up' by having the electrics turned on

It has all those but the switched live only comes on with ign lights.
If it isn't going to burn anything out or cause issues then fair enough.
Perhaps i'm being over cautious!

You are

the_wolf said:

You are

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:5bcheers2:

Dash binnacle out and pick up a proper switched live off the ign switch, bit fiddly to get to

You're usually looking for a white wire

Most radios will want a permanent fused live (solid purple in a landy) to keep the internal RAM alive, and a fused IGN to tell it when it can be on without draining the battery (as Station House says, a solid white in a landy).

Post a picture of your radio. I can't believe there isn't an on/off button.

mundungus said:

Most radios will want a permanent fused live (solid purple in a landy) to keep the internal RAM alive, and a fused IGN to tell it when it can be on without draining the battery (as Station House says, a solid white in a landy).

Post a picture of your radio. I can't believe there isn't an on/off button.

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You are correct, there is an on/off switch, I should have gone to specsaver
Its a multifunction switch....
This white wire, is it one that comes on with the ignition lights or when the key is set to the Accessory setting do you know? I have the permanent live and everything set, i'd just like to swap the switched live from one for the ignition lights........

I've got a '87 200tdi conversion and my ignition doesn't have the "accessory position". Position 1 = ignition live; position 2 = glow plugs;
position 3 = start,
so to have the radio on I need to have all the dash lights on too, doesn't matter at all, it will use a bit more juice up whilst the engine is off but not enough to worry about.